Taiwan is bolstering military exchanges with U.S., President Tsai says

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meets U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA), a member of the U.S. House China Select Committee, and other members of the U.S. delegation at the presidential office in Taipei, Taiwan, in this handout photo released February 21, 2023. Taiwan Presidential Office/Handout via REUTERS.

Taiwan is bolstering its military ties with the United States and will cooperate even more closely with it and other friendly nations to deal with "authoritarian expansionism", President Tsai Ing-wen told visiting U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday.

The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan but is the island's most important international backer and arms supplier, a consistent source of friction in Sino-U.S. relations.